Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-08
BLAINE
HE SCATTERS CLEYELAND,S FREE
TRADE SOPHISTRIES
To the Winds-A Remarkable
Elucidation of the American
Policy of Protection.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE REcoRD-uNIov.l

SPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE RECORD -uNIoy.l
NEW YORK, December Sth-A. M,-The
Tribune this morning contains long inter-
view with Hon. James G. Blaine on Presi-
dent Cleveland's message. He says: "a
have been reading an abstract OF the Presi-
dents message, and have been especially
interested in the comments of the London
papers. Those papers all assume to declare
the message as a free trade manifesto, and
evidently are anticipating an enlarged
market for English fabrics in the United
States as a consequence of the Presidents
recommendations. Perhaps that fact
stamped the character of the message more
clearly than any words can"
You don't mean actual free trade, with
out duty ?" queried the reporter.
mo- replied Blaine, "nor do the Lon
don papers mean that. They simply mean
that the President has recommended what
in the United States is known as revenue
tariff, rejecting the protective feature as an
object, and not even permitting protection
duties"
81 don't know that l quite comprehend
that last point, said the reporter.
OPPOSED TO INTERNAL REVENUES.
81 mean," said Blaine, ''that for the first
time in the history of the United States a
President recommends retaining an in
ternal tax in order that the tariff may be
forced down even below a fair revenue
standard. He recommends that the tax on
tobacco be retained, and thus many millions
annually be levied on domestic products
which would far better come from tariff
on foreign fabrics"
Then, do you mean to imply that you
would favor the repeal of the tobacco tax ?"
Certainly, mean just that" said Mr..
Blaine. | should urge that it be done at
once, even before the Christmas HOLIDAYS.
1t would, in the first-place, bring great re-
lief to the growers of tobacco all over the
country. and would, moreover, materially
lessen the price of the article to consumers.
Tobacco, to millions of men, is necessity.
The President calls it a luxury. 1t Is well
to remember that the luxury of yesterday
becomes a necessity of to-day Watch, if
you please, the number of men at work on
farm, in the coal mines, along the rail-
roads, in the iron foundries, or in any
calling, and you will find 95 to 1C) chew
ing tobacco while they work. After each
meal the same proportion seek
THE soLAcE OF THE PIPE Or CIGAR.
These men not only pay millions of to-
bacco tax, but pay on every plug and every
cigar the enhanced price which the tax
enables the manufacturer and retailer to
impose. The only excuse for such tax is
the actual necessity under which the Gov
ernment found itself during the war and
the years following Immediately afler. To
retain the tax now in order to destroy that
protection which would incidentally flow
from raising the same amount of money
on foreign imports, is certainly
MOST EXTRAORDINARY POLICY
For our Government"
Well, Mr.. Blaine, would you advise Il e
repeal of the whisky tax, also?"
mo, would not. Other consideration 8
| than those of financial administration are
to be taken into account with regard 10
whisky. There is a moral side. To
cheaper the price of whisky is to increase
the consumption enormously. There
would be no sense in urging the reform
wrought by high license in many States,
if the National Government neutralizes the
good effect by making whisky within the
reach of everyone. AT twenty cents
a gallon whisky would be everywhere
IL lhC NSIiidlCG Vi lue OOVeTl-
ment were withdrawn by the remission
of the fax, and Illicit sales could not then
be prevented, even by policy as vigorous
and searching as that by which Russia
pursues the Nihilists. 1t would destroy
high license at once in all States. Whisky
has done vast deal of harm in the United
States, and l would try to make it do
some good. l would
USE THE TAX TO FoRTIFY OUR CITIES
On the seaboard. In view of the powerful
letter addressed to the Democratic party on
the subject of Notifications by Samuel J..
T1lden in 1885, | am amazed that no atten-
ton has been paid to the subject by the
Democratic Administration. Never before
has any Government allowed its great cities
on the seaboard to remain defenseless."
But, said the reporter, you don't
think we are to have war in any direc-
ton ?'
Certainly not but we should change a
remote chance into an absolute impossi-
bility."
- But would not our fortifying now pos
sibly look as if we expected war? ?'
why should it, any more than the for
tifications made by our grandfathers, when
they guarded themselves against successful
attacks from the ornaments of that day !?
We don't necessarily expect burglar be-
cause we lock our doors at night"
But after the Notifications are con-
structed would you still maintain the tax
on whisky"
USE FOR WHISKY TAX.
Yes so long as there is whisky to
tax | would tax it, and then if the National
Government should have no use for the
money, l would divide the tax money
among the States of the Federal Union.
with tha nhianf Of
on real estate. Ii, ultimately, relief could
be given in that direction, it would, in my
judgment, be wise and beneficial policy.
Some honest but misguided friends of tenn
perance have urged that the Government
| should not use money derived from the
! tax on whisky. My reply is that the tax
| on whisky by the Federal Government
| means the consequent enhancement of the
| price which has been powerful agent IN
temperance reform, by putting it beyond
| the reach of SO many. The amount of
whisky consumed in the United States is
not more than 40 per cent. of that con-
sumed thirty years ago. In my Judgment
| the whisky tax should be so modified as to
permit those who use pure alcohol in the
| arts, or IN mechanical pursuits, to have it
free in all such cases. The tax could be
omitted, without danger of fraud, Just as
now the tax on spirits exported is re-
mitted."
Have you any further specific objec-
tions?"
Yes" answered Mr.. Blaine, :" l should
seriously object to the repeal of the duty on
wool. To repeal that would work great
injustice to many interests, and would seri-
ously discourage what we should earnestly
encourage namely, sheep culture among
the farmers throughout the Union.
TO BREAK DOWN wooL-GRowING.
And be dependent on foreign countries for
the blankets under which we sleep and the
coats that cover our backs is not a wise
policy for the National Government to en-
force"
Do you think that if the Presidents
recommendation were adopted they would
increase our export trade?''
Possibly on some few articles of pecuIiar
construction it might, but it would in
crease our import trade tenfold as much in
great staple fabrics-in woolen and cotton
IN iron, steel, in all the thousands and one
shapes IN which they are wrought. How
are we to export staple fabrics to the
market of Europe, unless we make them
| cheaper than they do in Europe? And
how are we to manufacture them cbeaner
unless we get cheaper labor than they
have?"
do you think